Vehicle Seat and Passenger Selection System

ABSTRACT

A vehicle seat comprises a frame member provided on a floor of a vehicle, a seat part such as a seat cushion detachably attached to the frame member, a mechanical connector device provided on the frame member and the seat part for detachably attaching the seat part to the frame member; and an electric connector device provided on the frame member and the seat part for electrically connecting an electric component provided on the seat part to an electric component provided on the frame member.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a vehicle seat, and a passengerselection system for use in carpooling or any other car sharing system.

BACKGROUND ART

A vehicle seat disclosed in JP2010-253182A is provided with a seatcushion and a seat back, and each of the seat cushion and the seat backis formed by a central part, and a pair of side parts which areinterchangeable. By selecting the side parts of the seat cushion and/orthe seat back, the vehicle seat can be adapted to the need of a user.Also, if the side parts are worn or damaged, they can be replaced withnew ones.

However, according to this prior art, replacing and installing sideparts require some work. Also, if the seat contains any electric device,replacing or installing side parts requires rewiring of the electricdevice. This also complicates the replacing or installing work.

Therefore, there is a need for a novel vehicle seat that can be adaptedto the need of a user in a simpler manner.

In a vehicle seat disclosed in JP2009-119230A, the shape and thesoftness of a support surface of the vehicle seat can be adjusted. Aplurality of air bladders are incorporated in the seat cushion and theseat back and pressure sensors are arranged over a support surface ofthe vehicle seat. The air bladders are connected to an air pump, and acontrol device controls the air pressure supplied to each air bladder bysupplying an appropriate pressure from the pump to each air bladderaccording to the output signals of the pressure sensors.

According to this prior art, in order to adjust the distribution ofsoftness finely over the support surface, it is necessary to arrange alarge number of small air bladders over the entire area of the supportsurface. Therefore, piping for the air bladders becomes highly complex,and supplying air pressure to each bladder requires a highly complexcontrol arrangement.

Therefore, there is a need for a novel vehicle seat that can adjust thedistribution of the softness of a support surface thereof in a simplermanner.

For environmental considerations, various systems of car pooling or ridesharing have been proposed. In a car sharing system proposed inJP2014-215670A, fellow passengers are selected from those who trust oneanother. Trustworthiness is evaluated on the basis of personalrelationships which may be manifested in the listing of addresses in apersonal terminal device of each user. If a subject user's address islisted in the personal terminal of a first user, the subject user andthe first user may be considered to be trustworthy each other by a firstdegree. If a subject user's address is listed in the personal terminalof a first user, and the first user's address is listed in a seconduser, the subject user and the second user may be considered to betrustworthy to each other by a second degree.

This system preferentially selects users who are relatively familiar toeach other, but this does not ensure that the two users are on afriendly term or able to sit together comfortably.

Therefore, there is a need for a passenger selection system that canselect fellow passengers in a ride share system so as to optimize of thecomfort of each passenger.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of such problems of the prior art, a primary object of thepresent invention is to provide a vehicle seat that is provided withinterchangeable seat parts that can be readily changed while allowingelectric connection to be achieved at the same time in an effortlessmanner.

A second object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle seatthat can adjust the stiffness of a pressure receiving surface thereoffor the maximum comfort of the seat occupant.

A third object of the present invention is to provide a passengerselection system for a ride share that can optimize the comfort of theuser by selecting fellow passengers by using data obtained from abiometric sensor incorporated in the seat.

To accomplish at least some of such objects, a first aspect of thepresent invention provides a vehicle seat, comprising: a frame memberprovided on a floor of a vehicle; a seat part detachably attached to theframe member; a mechanical connector device provided on the frame memberand the seat part for detachably attaching the seat part to the framemember; and an electric connector device provided on the frame memberand the seat part for electrically connecting an electric componentprovided on the seat part to an electric component provided on the framemember.

Thereby, the seat part, such as a seat cushion, a seat back and a headrest, can be readily attached to and removed from the seat frame bothmechanically and electrically in a highly simple and effortless mannerso that the seat can be adjusted to the need of the user in a convenientmanner. The electric connection as used herein should not be limited toliteral electric connection, but should be understood to mean any modeof arrangement for enabling transmission of power and/or signals inoptical, acoustic or any other form.

Preferably, the electric connector device is integrally incorporated inthe mechanical connector device.

Thereby, the attachment and detachment of the seat part to and from theframe member are maximally simplified.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, themechanical connector device is provided with a first tube provided onthe seat part, and a second tube provided on the frame member andconfigured to be fitted into or onto the first tube, and the electricconnector device includes a first part received in the first tube and asecond part received in the second tube.

By fitting one of the tubes into or onto the other, a highly mechanicalconnection can be achieved by using a highly simple structure. Asuitable latch mechanism may be used to further enhance the stability ofthe mechanical connection. By placing the electric connector device inthese tubes, the electric connector device can be protected from damagesfrom external forces and foreign matters.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, thefirst part of the electric connector device is provided with anidentifier carrying prescribed information, and the second part of theelectric connector device is provided with a recognition deviceconfigured to read information carried by the identifier.

Thereby, the attributes of each seat part can be identified as soon asthe seat part is joined to the frame member so that the control deviceof the vehicle is enabled to control the seat part or any devicesassociated therewith in a proper manner without requiring any humanintervention.

In a certain embodiment of the present invention, the seat part includesat least a first seat part segment which is detachably attached to theframe member via the mechanical connector device and the electricconnector device, and a second seat part segment which is detachablyattached to the first seat part segment via a segment mechanicalconnector device provided on the first seat part segment and the secondseat part segment.

Thereby, the seat can be adapted to the user in a finely adjustedmanner. Also, the seat can be repaired by replacing a damaged partthereof, instead of replaying the entire seat.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the electriccomponent provided on the seat part includes a plurality of pressuresensors arranged over a pressure supporting surface of the seat part andeach configured to detect a pressure applied thereto, and a plurality ofactuators arranged over the pressure supporting surface of the seat partand each configured to change a localized stiffness of the pressuresupporting surface of the seat part, and the electric component providedon the frame member includes a control device or a wiring leading to acontrol device, the control device being configured to control operationof the actuators according to output signals from the pressure sensors.

Thereby, the level of stiffness of various parts of the pressurereceiving surface can be adjusted so as to optimize the comfort andsupport of the seat occupant.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, theseat part includes a sub frame configured to be detachably attached tothe frame member, a pad supported by the sub frame and a skin membercovering a surface of the pad, and the actuators are interposed betweenthe skin member and the pad.

Thereby, the actuators are protected from damages, and the change instiffness caused by each actuator can be transmitted favorably to theseat occupant.

Preferably, the pressure sensors are incorporated in a pressure sensorsheet interposed between skin member and the pad.

Thereby, the pressure sensors can detect the pressure values in anaccurate manner, and can be installed in a highly simple manner. Thepressure sensors may be incorporated in the skin member to furtherenhance these advantages. The actuators may also be incorporated in asoft actuator sheet interposed between the skin member and the pad.

Preferably, the soft actuator sheet comprises linear actuators extendingin a lateral direction of the seat part and arranged in a longitudinaldirection of the seat part, and each configured to change a tensionthereof according to an input signal supplied thereto.

Thereby, the pressure actuators can be prepared and installed in asimple manner, and the stiffness variations in the longitudinaldirection can be produced in an effective and simple manner.

The soft actuator sheet may further comprise linear actuators extendingin the longitudinal direction of the seat part and arranged in thelateral direction of the seat part, and each configured to change atension thereof according to an input signal supplied thereto.

Thereby, the stiffness variations in the pressure support surface in thelongitudinal direction can be produced in an effective and simplemanner.

To further simplify the arrangement, the pressure sensors may compriselinear pressure sensors incorporated in the soft actuator sheet.Thereby, the structure for the pressure sensors can be simplified.

Preferably, the pad and/or the sub frame is provided with a recessconfigured to receive wiring leading from the electric componentprovided on the seat part to the electric connector device provided onthe seat part.

Thereby, the wiring can be passed through the seat part withoutimpairing the seating comfort of the seat part.

A third aspect of the present invention provides a passenger selectionsystem including the vehicle seat according to the first aspect of thepresent invention, the system comprising: a detection unit including abiometric sensor provided on the seat part and configured to detect anindex pertaining to emotion of each user seated in the seat to a fellowpassenger sharing a ride with the user; a storage unit for storing ahistory of the indices of the user in relation to the fellow passengersdetected during rides that were shared in the past; and a computationunit for selecting a fellow passenger for a next ride to be shared bythe user according to the history stored in the storage unit.

Thereby, the users are enabled to share vehicles with maximum comfort ina subtle way. Since the biometric sensor is provided on the seat part,the users are not required to wear any device on their persons, and thecomfort and convenience of the users can be maximized.

Preferably, the storage unit and the computation unit are provided in adata center provided separately from the vehicle. Thereby, the data canbe processed and controlled centrally so that the risk of leakingpersonal data can be minimized.

The vehicle may be provided with a wireless transmitter for sendingdetection results of the biometric sensor to the data center. Thereby,the data can be transmitted to the data center promptly.

Preferably, the computation unit is configured to analyze the history ofthe indices stored in the storage unit, and select a fellow passengerfor a next ride to be shared by the user according to an analysisresult.

Thereby, the process of selecting the fellow passengers can be performedin an automated manner. In this conjunction, the computation unit may beconfigured to select a fellow passenger for the user from those to whomthe user registered higher levels of emotion than others as recorded inthe history. Alternatively, the computation unit may be configured toselect a fellow passenger for the user by eliminating those to whom theuser registered lower levels of emotion than others as recorded in thehistory.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the computationunit is configured to group the users of the system into a plurality ofgroups such that the users in each group register high emotional leveltoward each other, and select a fellow passenger for each user from thegroup to which the particular user belongs.

This arrangement also allows each user to share rides with fellowpassengers the user is most comfortable to share a ride with.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING(S)

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle seat according to a firstembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the vehicle seat;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the vehicle seat formed by connectingtwo seat part segments;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a connector unit of the vehicle seat;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the internal structure of the vehicle seat;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a vehicle seat given as amodification of the vehicle seat of the first embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a vehicle seat according to a secondembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the vehicle seat;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the vehicle seat formed by connectingtwo seat segments;

FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a seat cushion of the vehicleseat;

FIG. 11 is a cross sectional view of the seat cushion;

FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 10 showing a seat cushion based on amodification of the second embodiment;

FIG. 13 is a view similar to FIG. 10 showing a seat cushion based onanother modification of the second embodiment;

FIG. 14 is a view similar to FIG. 10 showing a seat cushion based on yetanother modification of the second embodiment;

FIG. 15 is a view similar to FIG. 10 showing a seat cushion based on yetanother modification of the second embodiment;

FIG. 16 is a view similar to FIG. 7 showing yet another modification ofthe second embodiment;

FIG. 17 is a block diagram of a passenger selection system according toan embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing a control action of the passengerselection system.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in thefollowing with reference to the appended drawings. The directions asused in the following disclosure are based on the view point of thevehicle occupant in the seat.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the seat 1 includes a frame member 2 supportedby a floor F of a vehicle, and seat parts that are supported by theframe member 2. The seat parts include a seat cushion 5, a seat back 6and a head rest 7. The seat cushion 5 supports an occupant from below,and the seat back 6 extends upward from the rear end of the seat cushion5 to support the back of the occupant. The head rest 7 extends upwardfrom the upper end of the seat back 6 to support the head of theoccupant from behind. The seat cushion 5 is provided with a sub frame5A, a pad 5B supported by the sub frame 5A, and a skin member 5Ccovering the pad 5B. Similarly, the seat back 6 is provided with a subframe 6A, a pad 6B supported by the sub frame 6A, and a skin member 6Ccovering the pad 6B, and the head rest 7 is provided with a sub frame7A, a pad 7B supported by the sub frame 7A, and a skin member 7Ccovering the pad 7B. In the illustrated embodiment, each sub frame ismade of a sheet member or a plate member made of metal or plasticmaterial.

The frame member 2 includes a lower frame part 2A extending in a foreand aft direction, and an upper frame part 2B extending substantiallyupward from the rear end of the lower frame part 2A. The lower framepart 2A and the upper frame part 2B are each made of a hollow tubularmember defining an inner space 2C. In the illustrated embodiment, eachtubular member is provided with a rectangular cross section, but mayalso be provided with a circular, polygonal or any other shape. Thelower frame part 2A is attached to the floor F via a plurality of legs11. These legs 11 may be either directly attached to the floor F or viaa slide rail system that allows the fore and aft adjustment of the seat1. As shown in FIG. 3, the rear end of the lower frame part 2A is formedwith a connecting hole 12 passed laterally across the lower frame part2A. A plurality of similar seats may be joined to each other by using aconnecting member 13 extending laterally and passed into the connectingholes 12 of the seats or seat segments to be connected to each other.The connecting member 13 may be attached to the floor F via a bracket(not shown in the drawings), for instance.

As shown in FIG. 2, the seat cushion 5, the seat back 6 and the headrest 7 are both mechanically and electrically (or optically) connectedto the frame member 2 via a connector unit 20. The connector unit 20includes a plurality of frame side connectors 21 and corresponding seatpart side connectors 22 provided on the respective seat parts.

As shown in FIG. 4, each frame side connector 21 includes a base portion24 attached to the frame member 2, and a first tube 26 supported by thebase portion 24 via a cushion element 25. The base portion 24 isattached to the frame member by welding or fastening. The first tube 26has an open end facing away from the frame member and a closed bottomend.

The cushion element 25 may consist of an elastic member such as rubber.Alternatively, the cushion element 25 may consist of an air damper, anelectromagnetic damper, an oil damper or the like. When the cushionelement 25 consists of an air damper, the air damper may be providedwith an air chamber which functions as an actuator by expanding andcontracting by the supply and the release of compressed air into and outof the air chamber. The air chamber may be expanded and contracted byreceiving and releasing air according to the vibrations transmitted fromthe vehicle so as to function as an active damper (active suspensionsystem) that cancels the vibrations of the vehicle. The oil damper mayconsist of a viscoelastic variable damper.

The bottom end of the first tube 26 is internally provided with firstconnecting members 28 for electrically or optically connecting tocounterparts (which will be described hereinafter) provided on thecorresponding seat part, and a recognition device 32 for identifying anidentifier 31 (which will be described hereinafter). The lead wires ofthe first connecting members 28 and the recognition device 32 arebundled together, and extend into the frame member 2 through the bottomend of the first tube 26, the cushion element 25 and the base portion24.

Each seat part side connector 22 includes a second tube 35 connected tothe corresponding sub frame 5A, 6A, 7A. The second tube 35 has an openend facing away from the corresponding sub frame 5A, 6A, 7A and a closedbottom end remote from the open end.

The bottom end of the second tube 35 is internally provided with secondconnecting members 36 for electrically or optically connecting to thecorresponding first connecting members 28, and an identifier 31. Thewiring connected to the second connecting members 36 extends into thecorresponding seat part (5, 6, 7) through the bottom end of the secondtube 35 and the sub frame 5A, 6A, 7A.

In the illustrated embodiment, the second tube 35 is configured to fitinto the first tube 26. In other words, the first tube 26 is an outertube, and the second tube 35 is an inner tube. Alternatively, the firsttube 26 may be an inner tube while the second tube 35 is an outer tube.A locking recess 41 is formed on the outer surface of the first tube 26,and a locking claw 42 is pivotally provided on the outer surface of thesecond tube 35 so that the first tube 26 and the second tube 35 maybecome attached to each other by the locking claw 42 engaging thelocking recess 41. The locking claw 42 is urged by a biasing member suchas a torsion coil spring (not shown in the drawings) into engagementwith the locking recess 41. By manually operating the locking claw 42,the first tube 26 and the second tube 35 can be detached from eachother. If desired, the first tube 26 and the second tube 35 may beprovided with a non-circular cross section such as a polygon and anellipsis so that the first tube 26 and the second tube 35 may not berotated around the axial line relative to each other. The first tube 26and the second tube 35 which can be detachably connected to each otherthus jointly form a mechanical connector 38 for mechanically connectingthe corresponding seat part to the frame member 2.

An annular seal member 45 is retained on the outer periphery of thesecond tube 35 to provide a liquid tight seal between the outercircumferential surface of the second tube 35 and the innercircumferential surface of the first tube 26.

When the first tube 26 and the second tube 35 are connected to eachother, the first connecting members 28 and the second connecting members36 are electrically or optically connected to each other. The firstconnecting member 28 and the second connecting member 36 may consist ofelectric connectors that are electrically connected to each other bycontact, optical fiber connectors that are optically connected eachother when connected, or coils or other devices that are magneticallyconnected to each other without contact. When the first tube 26 and thesecond tube 35 are connected to each other, the first connecting member28 and the second connecting member 36 are positioned inside the secondtube 35.

When the first tube 26 and the second tube 35 are connected to eachother, the recognition device 32 opposes the identifier 31 so that therecognition device 32 recognizes the identifier 31. The identifier mayconsists of image information such as a bar code or an IC tag, therecognition device 32 may consist of a camera that can read imageinformation such as a bar code or an IC tag reader for reading IC tags.The information contained in the identifier 31 may be information on thesize and shape of the corresponding seat part, or information on anelectric component 47 provided on the corresponding seat part.

As shown in FIG. 2, each seat part is preferably connected to the framemember 2 via a plurality of connector units 20 such that the seat partis prevented from rotating relative to the frame member 2. In theillustrated embodiment, the seat cushion 5 and the seat back 6 are eachconnected to the frame member 2 via three connector units 20. Theconnectors 22 on each seat part 5, 6, 7 are each positioned laterallycentral part thereof. Thus, the frame member 2 is positioned laterallycentrally with respect to the seat part 5, 6 and 7.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the inner space 2C of the frame member 2receives a control device 50 which is one form of electric device. Thecontrol device 50 consists of an electronic control unit comprising acircuit board supporting CPU, memory and other components and fixedlyattached to the inner surface of the frame member 2. The control device50 is connected to an onboard power source 52 via a power cable 51. Thepower cable 51 extends to the power source 52 via the inner space 2C ofthe frame member 2 and the interior of one of the legs 11. The controldevice 50 is connected to the first connecting members 28 and therecognition devices 32 of the frame side connectors 21 via signal wires33 and 34. If the cushion element 25 consists of an active element suchas an air damper, the control device 50 is connected the cushion element25 via signal wires. In an alternate embodiment, the frame member 2 ismade of electrically insulating material, and the circuit pattern of thecontrol device 50 is directly provided on the inner surface of the framemember 2. In such a case, the frame member 2 and the control device 50may be combined into a single integral component so that the number ofcomponent parts can be reduced, and weight reduction can beaccomplished.

Each seat part may be provided with an electric component 47 which mayconsist of any electric component such as a heater, a cooling fan, atemperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a pressure, an air bag, a switchand an actuator. The electric component 47 may be provided between thesub frame 5A, 6A, 7A and the pad or between the pad and the skin member5C, 6C, 7C. The electric component provided on the seat part iselectrically connected to the second connecting member via wires 37, andthence to the control device 50 via the connector unit 20 and the signalwires 33.

In the illustrated embodiment, each seat part can be interchangeablyselected from a number of selections having different sizes andconfigurations, different properties of the pad and the skin member, andthe kinds of the electric component 47, and connected to the framemember 2 via the connector unit 20. For instance, the seat cushion 5,the seat back 6 and the head rest 7 can be selected from preselectedstandard products based on the standard body sizes and shapes of anadult male, an adult female, a child and an infant.

The inner space 2C of the upper frame part 2B receives an air bag device60 which includes a folded air bag and an inflator for inflating the airbag at the time of a crash. A rear end of the upper frame part 2B isprovided with an opening through which the air bag can be deployed. Thisair bag is intended to protect an occupant seated in a seat behind theseat in question from hitting the seat in question. Because the air bagdevice is provided directly on the frame member 2 having a relativelyhigh stiffness, instead of the seat part, the air bag can be deployed ina stable manner. The opening may be provided with a lid that isconfigured to the displaced or fractured under the pressure from thedeploying air bag.

The inflator of the air bag is electrically connected to the controldevice 50 via wires 63 passed through the inner space 2C of the framemember 2. The control device 50 is configured to activate the air bagdevice 60 according to a signal from a crash detection sensor 65 such asan acceleration sensor.

Side parts of the seat cushion 5 and the side parts of the seat back 6are each provided with a correction device 70 for forcing the occupantto a proper seating posture at the time of a vehicle crash. The properseating posture means that the occupant's buttocks are centrallypositioned on the seat cushion 5 and the occupant's back is alsocentrally positioned on the seat back 6, both laterally andlongitudinally, so that the occupant may withstand the deceleration of avehicle crash in an optimum fashion. Each correction device 70 mayinclude an air cylinder for moving the corresponding part of the seatpart. The correction device 70 may be considered as a form of theelectric component 47, and is electrically connected to thecorresponding second connecting member 36 via wires 37 to be connectedto the control device 50 via the connector unit 20. The control device50 controls the correction device 70 according to the signal from thecrash detection sensor 65.

Thus, the seat parts such as the seat cushion 5, the seat back 6 and thehead rest 7 can be detachably attached to the frame member 2 so that theseat 1 can be adapted to the occupant simply by selecting the seat partsaccordingly.

Because the connector unit 20 allows the seat parts to be bothelectrically and mechanically connected to the frame member 2,installing and replacing the seat parts can be accomplished in aneffortless manner.

Because each connector unit 20 can be connected by fitting the secondtube 35 into the first tube 26, the first connecting member 28 and thesecond connecting member 36 are protected from damages owing to anexternal force and contamination by moisture and other foreign matters.

The control device 50 identifies each identifier 31 with thecorresponding recognition device 32 so that the control device 50 isable to acquire information on the particular seat part connected to theframe member 2. Therefore, the control device 50 is enabled to controlthe electric component 47 incorporated in the corresponding seat part ina correct manner.

Each connector unit 20 may be configured to transmit both signals andelectric power between the control device 50 provided on the framemember 2 and the electric component 47 incorporated in each seat partvia the corresponding connector unit 20.

In a modified embodiment, at least one of the seat parts consist of aplurality of seat part segments. For instance, as shown in FIG. 6, theseat cushion 5 may consist of a laterally central part 71 and a pair ofside parts 72 detachably connected to either side of the central part71. The central part 71 and the side parts 72 are each provided with asub frame, a pad and a skin member, individually. The central part 71 isdetachably connected to the frame member 2 via a first connector unit20. Each side part 72 is detachably connected to the central part 71 viaa second connector unit 74 which connects the two parts bothmechanically and electrically, and may be similar to the aforementionedconnector units 20. Each of the central part 71 and the side parts 72may be provided with an electric component 47. The electric component 47provided on either one of the side parts 72 may be connected to thecontrol device 50 provided in the frame member 2 via the secondconnector unit 74, the central part 71 and the first connector unit 20.

In the foregoing embodiment, the first tube 26 of at least one of theconnector units 20 may be connected to the base portion 24 via a hinge,a ball joint or any other movable joint. Also, a resilient member may beprovided on any of the connector units 20 for urging the first tube 26to an initial position relative to the corresponding base portion.

FIGS. 7 to 11 show a second embodiment of the present invention. Asshown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the seat 101 includes a frame member 102supported by a floor F of a vehicle, and seat parts that are supportedby the frame member 102. The seat parts include a seat cushion 105, aseat back 106 and a head rest 107. The seat cushion 105 supports anoccupant from below, and the seat back 106 extends upward from the rearend of the seat cushion 105 to support the back of the occupant. Thehead rest 107 extends upward from the upper end of the seat back 106 tosupport the head of the occupant from behind. The seat cushion 105 isprovided with a sub frame 105A, a pad 105B supported by the sub frame105A, and a skin member 105C covering the pad 105B. Similarly, the seatback 106 is provided with a sub frame 106A, a pad 106B supported by thesub frame 106A, and a skin member 106C covering the pad 106B, and thehead rest 107 is provided with a sub frame 107A, a pad 107B supported bythe sub frame 107A, and a skin member 107C covering the pad 107B. In theillustrated embodiment, each sub frame is made of a sheet member or aplate member made of metallic or plastic material.

The frame member 102 includes a lower frame part 102A extending in afore and aft direction, and an upper frame part 102B extendingsubstantially upward from the rear end of the lower frame part 102A. Thelower frame part 102A and the upper frame part 102B are each made of ahollow tubular member. In the illustrated embodiment, each tubularmember is provided with a rectangular cross section, but may also beprovided with a circular, polygonal or any other shape. The lower framepart 102A is attached to the floor F via a plurality of legs 110. Asshown in FIG. 3, the rear end of the lower frame part 102A is formedwith a connecting hole 108 passed laterally across the lower frame part102A. A plurality of similar seats may be joined to each other by usinga connecting member 109 extending laterally and passed into theconnecting holes 108 of the seats to be connected to each other. Theconnecting member 109 may be attached to the floor F via a bracket (notshown in the drawings), for instance.

As shown in FIG. 10, a pressure sensor sheet 114 for detecting apressure applied thereto and an actuator sheet 118 for changing thestiffness (softness) of the seat cushion 103 are interposed between theskin member 103C and the pad 103B of the seat cushion 103. In anembodiment of the present invention, the pressure sensor sheet 114 andthe actuator sheet 118 are incorporated in a single sheet. The pressuresensor sheet 114 and the actuator sheet 118 are primarily formed offabric sheets, and cover the upper surface or the support surface X ofthe pad 103B supporting the load from the occupant. As the pressuresensor sheet 114 and the actuator sheet 118 extend along the supportsurface X, the pressure sensor sheet 114 detects the load acting on thesupport surface X, and the actuator sheet 118 changes the stiffness ofthe seat cushion 103 immediately under the support surface X.

The pressure sensor sheet 114 includes a plurality of pressure sensors112 arranged over a detection surface Y of the pressure sensor sheet 114in a grid pattern and each consisting of a device that changes anelectric property such as resistance and capacitance according to theload applied perpendicularly on the detection surface Y of the pressuresensor sheet 114. By analyzing the output signals from the individualpressure sensors 112, the distribution of the pressure applied to thedetection surface Y can be obtained. In the illustrated embodiment, thepressure sensor sheet 114 includes a substrate consisting of a film,lower electrodes arranged on the film in the grid pattern,electroconductive rubber material deposited on the upper surfaces of thelower electrodes, and upper electrodes opposing the lower electrodes viathe electroconductive rubber material. The upper electrodes and thelower electrodes each consisting of a square film having a sidemeasuring a few millimeters to a few centimeters oppose each other witha gap in the order of a few millimeters defined therebetween. Theelectric resistance of the rubber material between each upper electrodeand the corresponding lower electrode changes in dependence on thepressure applied to the upper electrode in a direction perpendicular tothe detection surface Y. Since the pressure sensor sheet 114 consists ofa flexible sheet, the pressure sensor sheet 114 can conform to thesurface contour of the support surface X which changes depending on theload applied thereto by the occupant. The pressure sensor sheet 114 isnot limited to the one described here, but may consist of any otherpressure sensor in the form of a sheet, such as a piezoelectric sensorsheet having piezoelectric fibers woven therein, and a capacitive sensorsheet including a deformable film interposed between a pair ofelectrodes. Lead wires 120 connected to the individual pressure sensors112 extend from side edges of the pressure sensor sheet 114 (three wiresfrom each lateral edge in the illustrated embodiment).

The actuator sheet 118 includes a plurality of laterally extendinglinear soft actuator 116W, a plurality of warps 152L made of fibers anda plurality of woofs 152W also made of fibers. Each soft actuator 116Wconsists of a filament that extends laterally across the actuator sheet118 and shrinks depending on a voltage applied thereto. In theillustrated embodiment, each soft actuator 116W is made of a shapememory alloy, and has a diameter of several tens of micrometers toseveral hundreds of micrometers. The soft actuator 116W may also consistof electroconductive high polymer, carbon-based material or magneticfluid that changes shape according to a magnetic field created by anapplied voltage. As shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 10, the softactuators 116W are woven with the warps 152L. Therefore, the softactuators 116W can be arranged along the surface of the actuator sheet118 without any difficulty, and are prevented from moving within theactuator sheet 118.

A plurality of sheet connectors 119 are arranged along the lateral edgesof the actuator sheet 118. The soft actuators 116W are electricallyconnected to these sheet connectors 119.

The pressure sensor sheet 114 and the actuator sheet 118 cover the pad103B, and are attached to the sub frame 103A at the peripheral edgesthereof by being interposed between the sub frame 103A and the pad 103B.The effective detecting area of the pressure sensor sheet 114 or thedetection surface Y may be provided only on the part of the pressuresensor sheet 114 covering the upper surface of the pad 103B. In theillustrated embodiment, the actuator sheet 118 adjoins the skin member103C. The sheet connectors 119 are connected to lead wires 122.

In particular, the soft actuator sheet 118 is fixedly attached to thesub frame 103A via the sheet connectors 119 in the illustratedembodiment. When an electric voltage is applied to the soft actuatorsheet 118, the tension in the soft actuator sheet 118 increases. As aresult, the support surface X may be elevated as a result as shown bythe imaginary lines in FIG. 11. When the tension in the soft actuatorsheet 118 increases, the reaction to the downward load on the seatcushion 103 for a given load increases. In other words, the stiffness ofthe support surface X of the seat cushion 103 increases. Thus, thestiffness or rigidity of the support surface X of the seat cushion 103can be changed by applying a different voltage to the soft actuatorsheet 118.

The upper surface of the sub frame 103A is provided with a plurality ofgrooves 130 (six grooves in the illustrated embodiment) each extendingfrom a lateral edge to a laterally central part of the sub frame 103A.The grooves 130 extending from either lateral edge are aligned in pairs.The pad 103B is provided with recesses 131 opposing the respectivegrooves 130 so that laterally extending passages 132 are defined betweenthe pad 103B and the sub frame 103A. The wires 120 and 122 are passedthrough these passages 132 so that the occupant seated on the seatcushion 103 is prevented from experiencing any discomfort owing to thepresence of the wires 120 and 122, and the external appearance of theseat 101 can be enhanced.

The inner end of each groove 130 is formed with a through hole 134passed through the sub frame 103A, and the wires 122 and 122 arereceived in the groove 130 and passed through the through hole 134. Theupper surface of the frame lower part 102A are provided with firstconnectors 142 which project upward. A plurality of second connectors140 that are configured to be connected to the corresponding firstconnectors 142 provided on the frame lower part 102A are attached to orotherwise provided on central parts of the lower surface of the subframe 103A. The wires 120 and 122 extending out of the through holes 134are connected to terminal pieces of the second connectors 140.

The first connectors 142 that project upward are configured to bemechanically and electrically connected to the corresponding secondconnectors 140 that project downward. Wires 144 connected to terminalpieces of the first connectors 142 are passed through the inner space102C of the frame lower part 102A, and are connected to a control device150 provided on an appropriate part of the floor F.

The control device 150 consists of an electronic control unit providedwith a central processing unit and memory, and, as shown in FIG. 10, isconnected to the pressure sensors 112 and the soft actuators 116W viathe wires 120, 122 and 144. The control device 150 is configured todetect the pressures applied to the pressure sensors 112 from thechanges in the electric properties of the respective pressure sensors112. The control device 150 further applies appropriate voltages to therespective soft actuators 116W according to the magnitude and thedistribution of the pressure applied to the pressure sensors 112.

The mode of operation of the seat 101 is described in the following. Theoccupant in the seat 101 applies uneven pressure to the support surfaceX of the seat cushion 103. For instance, a rear part of the supportsurface X receives a greater pressure from the buttocks of the occupantwhile a front part of the support surface X receives a relatively smallpressure. Therefore, it is desirable if the rear part of the seatcushion 103 is made softer than the front part of the seat cushion 103.

The control device 150 computes the distribution of pressure on thedetection surface Y according to the output signals from the pressuresensors 112. At this time, the detection surface Y is divided into aplurality of rectangular areas, for instance 10 by 10 rectangular areas,and the pressure applied to each rectangular area is compared with theaverage value of the pressure applied to the entire detection surface Y.The control device 150 drives the soft actuator 116W located under eachrectangular area according to the difference between the pressureapplied to this particular rectangular area and the average pressure.For instance, when the pressure applied to a certain rectangular area isgreater than the average pressure value, the soft actuator 116W locatedunder this rectangular area is extended so that this rectangular area ismade comparatively softer. Conversely, when the pressure applied to acertain rectangular area is smaller than the average pressure value, thesoft actuator 116W located under this rectangular area is contracted sothat this rectangular area is made comparatively harder or stiffer. Bythus adjusting the softness or the stiffness of the different parts ofthe support surface X, the sitting comfort for the occupant can beenhanced.

In this embodiment, each rectangular area may consist of a square havinga side which may range between several millimeters to severalcentimeters, and such squares are arranged in a grid pattern. Therefore,the distribution of pressure on the detection surface Y can be detectedwith a corresponding resolution. Also, because the soft actuators are ina linear form having a diameter that may range between several tens ofmicrometers and several hundreds of micrometers, the distribution of thestiffness or softness of the support surface X can be controlled with acorresponding resolution.

In the illustrated embodiment, the soft actuators 116W are arranged inthe longitudinal direction (in the fore and aft direction in the case ofthe seat cushion 103 and in the vertical direction in the case of theseat back 104) along which the variations in the pressure from theoccupant are relatively significant. More specifically, in the case ofthe seat cushion 103, by extending the soft actuators 116W in a rearpart of the seat cushion 103 and contracting the soft actuators 116W ina front part of the seat cushion 103, the front part can be maderelatively stiff while the rear part is made relatively soft. Thereby,the rear part of the seat cushion 103 is caused to sink relativelyeasily so that the support surface X of the seat cushion 103 is enabledto conform to the lower end of the occupant, and the comfort to theoccupant can be maximized.

Because the soft actuators 116W can be electrically controlled, thesoftness of the seat cushion 103 can be controlled both easily andrapidly by using a simple arrangement. Because the soft actuators 116Ware provided between the skin member 103C and the pad 103B, the softactuators 116W are favorably protected from damages. Because the softactuators 116W are positioned immediately under the skin member 103C,the support surface X of the seat cushion 103 is enabled to conform tothe pressure distribution applied thereto by the occupant in a favorablemanner.

By providing the pressure sensor sheet 114 immediately under theactuator sheet 118 and minimizing friction between the pressure sensorsheet 114 and the actuator sheet 118 by using suitable surfacematerials, the pressure sensor sheet 114 is prevented from deforming bythe extension and contraction of the soft actuator sheet 116W, andenabled to detect the pressure distribution on the detection surface Yin a favorable manner.

In a modified embodiment illustrated in FIG. 12, in addition to thelaterally extending soft actuators 116W, longitudinally extending softactuators 116L are arranged laterally. In particular, as shown in anenlarged view in FIG. 12, the laterally extending soft actuators 116Wand the longitudinally extending soft actuators 116L are woven together.Therefore, the stiffness of the seat cushion 103 can be varied bothalong the lateral direction and the longitudinal direction ortwo-dimensionally. Therefore, it is possible to vary the stiffness ofthe seat cushion 103 in a highly localized manner. For instance, thelaterally extending soft actuators 116W and the longitudinally extendingsoft actuators 116L in the parts of the seat cushion 103 correspondingto the ischia and/or tailbone of the occupant may be extended so as tosoften the corresponding regions. Thereby, the softness distribution ofthe support surface X of the seat cushion 103 can be more finelyadjusted. Also, because the laterally extending soft actuators 116W andthe longitudinally extending soft actuators 116L are woven together, thesoft actuators 116W and 116L are prevented from moving relative to eachother.

In this case, the sheet connectors 119 for the longitudinally extendingsoft actuators 116L are attached to the front and rear edges of theactuator sheet 118, and are also fixedly secured to the front and rearedges of the sub frame 103A either directly or via the actuator sheet118. To accommodate the wires 122 connected to these sheet connectors119, grooves 30 extending in the fore and aft direction may be formed inthe upper surface of the sub frame 103A while the corresponding parts ofthe lower surface of the pad 103B of the seat cushion 103 are providedwith corresponding recesses 31.

In another modified embodiment shown in FIG. 13, soft actuators 116W and116L are directly incorporated in the skin member 103C. As shown in anenlarge view in FIG. 13, the soft actuators consist of laterallyextending soft actuators 116W and longitudinally extending softactuators 116L that are woven to each other as wefts and warps,respectively. The pressure sensor sheet 114 is interposed between theskin member 103C and the pad 103B. In this embodiment also, thestiffness of the seat cushion 103 can be varied both along the lateraldirection and the longitudinal direction or two-dimensionally.Therefore, it is possible to vary the stiffness of the seat cushion 103in a highly localized manner.

Because the soft actuators 116W and 116L are incorporated in the skinmember 103C, the support surface X of the seat cushion 103 is enabled toconform to the pressure distribution applied thereto by the occupant ina favorable manner.

In a yet another modified embodiment shown in FIG. 14, pressure sensors112 and soft actuators 116 in linear form are incorporated in the skinmember 103C, instead of using a pressure sensor sheet 114 and anactuator sheet 118. Similarly as the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 10,the control device 150 determines the pressure distribution of thesupport surface X according to the signals from the pressure sensors112, and varies the distribution of stiffness of the support surface Xby extending and contracting the selected soft actuators 116 accordingto the determined pressure distribution. Because the pressure sensors112 and soft actuators 116 are all incorporated in the skin member 103C,the assembly of the seat 101 is facilitated. The linear pressure sensors112 may consist of piezoelectric fibers each including a core electrode,a flexible piezoelectric layer formed around the core electrode, and anouter electrode surrounding the piezoelectric layer.

In a yet another modified embodiment shown in FIG. 15, only softactuators 116 are incorporated in the skin member 103C, instead of usinga pressure sensor sheet 114 and an actuator sheet 118. In this case, thesoft actuators 116 also serve as pressure sensors 112 each by generatinga voltage according to a pressure applied thereto. By thus using devicesthat serve both as pressure sensors and soft actuators, the number ofcomponent parts of the seat 101 can be reduced. The control device 150determines the pressure distribution of the support surface X accordingto the signals from the soft actuators 116, and varies the distributionof stiffness of the support surface X by extending and contracting theselected soft actuators 116 according to the determined pressuredistribution. The soft actuators 116 in this case may consist ofelectroconductive high polymer actuators using ionized liquid, forinstance.

In the foregoing embodiment, the pressure sensors 112 and the softactuators 116 are provided on the seat cushion 103, but, alternativelyor additionally, may be provided on the seat back 104. In the case ofthis seat back 104, the pressure sensors 112 and the soft actuators 116or the pressure sensor sheet 114 and the soft actuator sheet 118 areprovided on the seat back 104 or in particular on a support surface Xdefined on the front surface of the pad member 104B as shown in FIG. 16.When only the laterally extending soft actuators 116W are used,laterally extending soft actuators 116W are arranged along thelongitudinal direction of the seat back 104.

In the foregoing embodiments, the pressure sensors 112 are configured todetect a pressure applied perpendicularly to the support surface X, butmay also detect the pressure as a tension applied to each pressuresensor 112 extending along the support surface X. Since the increase inthe tension is proportional to the pressure applied perpendicularly tothe support surface X, the tension provides an accurate measure of thepressure applied to the support surface X. The pressure sensor sheet 114and the soft actuator sheet 118 may also be attached to the uppersurface and/or the side surfaces of the pad 103B, instead of attachingthe peripheral parts of the pressure sensor sheet 114 and the softactuator sheet 118 to the sub frame 103A.

In the foregoing embodiments, the soft actuator sheet 118 and thepressure sensor sheet 114 are interposed between the skin member 103Cand the pad 103B in that order, but may also be reversed in order, byplacing the pressure sensor sheet 114 on top of the soft actuator sheet118. In the latter case, the sensitivity of the pressure sensor sheet114 can be improved.

In the foregoing embodiments, the channels 132 for receiving the wires120 and 122 are defined by the grooves 130 formed in the sub frame 103Aand the recesses 131 formed in the pad member 103B, but only the grooves130 or the recesses 131 may be formed in the corresponding depending onthe diameters of the wires 120 and 122.

FIGS. 17 and 18 show a third embodiment of the present invention. A ridesharing system 201 for a vehicle 202 includes a detection unit 205provided on the seat 203 (a seat cushion and a seat back of the seat203, respectively) and a data center 204 provided separately from thevehicle 202 typically at a fixed location. The detection unit 205 inthis case essentially consists of a biometric sensor 205.

The biometric sensor 205 is configured to detect indices relating tohuman emotion. The detection values of the indices detected by thebiometric sensor 205 are forwarded to the data center 204 via a wirelesscommunication between a transmitter provided on the vehicle 202 and areceiver provided on the data center 204. The biometric sensor 205detects indices for each of the occupants of the vehicle 202. Forexample, the biometric sensor 205 may consist of a device for measuringthe pulses, body temperature, brain waves and the like of an occupant ofthe seat 203, a device for detecting liquid or gas secreted from theskin of an occupant such as perspiration and gases, and/or a device formeasuring the electric conductance of the skin that can be changed byperspiration or the like. Other sensors may also be used as thebiometric sensor 205. The biometric sensor 205 may be fixedly attachedto the seat 203 or the like of the vehicle 202 or may be portable like awristband or the like that may be worn by the occupant. The biometricsensor 205 may be kept in contact with the occupant or may be positionedremotely from the occupant.

When the biometric sensor 205 is fixedly attached to the seat 203, thereis no need for the user to wear the biometric sensor 205, and since thebiometric sensor 205 is positioned close to the seated occupant, gas orthe like secreted from the occupant's skin can be detected in a reliablemanner. When the biometric sensor 205 is provided in the wristband, thebiometric sensor 205 can be brought into contact with the skin of theoccupant so that the detection or measurement of the pulse rate, bodytemperature, perspiration, and/or skin electrical resistance of theoccupant can be facilitated. The biometric sensor 205 may consist of asingle sensor, but may also consist of two or more biometric sensors inorder to detect indices relating to two or more kinds of emotions of theoccupant in order to improve the accuracy of obtained information. It ispreferable that the detection values of the indices detected by thebiometric sensor 205 be transmitted to the data center 204 by wirelesstransmission so that the emotion data can be transmitted from thebiometric sensor 205 to the data center 204 both easily and quickly.

The data center 204 includes an information processing device such as apersonal computer including a computation unit 206 and a storage unit207. The data center 204 is preferably provided separately orindependently from the vehicle 202 so that the data may be centrallymanaged, and the risk of leakage of personal information may beminimized. The computation unit 206 includes an emotion levelcomputation unit 208 that computes an emotion level (which may befavorable in one extreme and unfavorable in the other extreme) of eachoccupant toward each of the other occupants according to the values ofthe indices detected by the biometric sensor 205, and a passengerselection unit 209 for selecting a combination of passengers based onthe emotion levels. The storage unit 207 functions as an emotion historydatabase 210 that stores the detected values of the indices detected bythe biometric sensor 205 as data representing the emotion level of eachpassenger toward each of the passengers sharing the ride with thepassenger in question in each instance of ride share, and an emotionlevel database 211 for storing the emotion levels computed and analyzedby the emotion level computation unit 208.

Each user of the system 201 is provided with a user terminal 212 such asa smart phone and a personal computer that can communicate with the datacenter 204. The user terminal 212 transmits the time, the start pointand the destination, along with a user ID, entered by the user to thedata center 204, and receives a determined combination of passengersfrom the data center 204.

The process of determining a combination of passengers for sharing aride is described in the following with reference to the flowchart shownin FIG. 18. Each user of the system 201 performs a user registration,and acquires a user ID.

The data center 204 receives a user ID, and the time, the start pointand the destination for a planned trip from each user terminal 212 (stepST1).

The passenger selection unit 209 analyzes the time, the start point andthe destination entered by each user, and determines a route for thevehicle, and a combination of candidate passengers who are going toshare a ride with each of a plurality of vehicles (step ST2).

The passenger selection unit 209 then selects the fellow passengers foreach user based on the history of emotion levels of the user stored inthe emotion level database 211 (step ST3). Once the user begins the rideas specified by the data center 204, the biometric sensor 205 startsmeasuring the emotion level of each of the passengers of the vehicle(step ST4). The measured emotion levels are transmitted to the datacenter 204 (step ST5). The data center 204 stores the received data inthe history database 210, and analyzes the received data. The analysisresults are stored in the emotion level DB 211. At the same time, theold data is discarded according to a predetermined rule (step ST7).

In this embodiment, the higher an emotional level value is, the morefavorable the emotion of the user toward a potential fellow passengeris. The passenger selection unit 209 may select a combination ofpassengers for sharing a ride in such a way that the average of theemotional level values of the combination of the passengers may bemaximized.

For instance, suppose that there are six users who desire to share aride by using two vehicles, and each vehicle is to be assigned to threeof the entire users. In such an instance, each user demonstrates acertain emotion level in relation to the two fellow passengers duringthe shared ride. It is therefore impossible to determine how theemotional level of the user may be attributed to each of the fellowpassengers from a single instance of a ride share. Therefore, byaccumulating the history of emotion levels of each user toward the otherusers over the past ride share instances, it is possible to discern theemotion level of the user toward each of the remaining users.

Thus, in this case, the data center 204 is able to determine the emotionlevels of each user toward the remaining five users, and determine thetwo fellow passengers who give rise to high emotional level values.

In this case, each vehicle gives rise to six emotional level values. Inorder to optimize the entire emotional levels, the three passengers foreach vehicle may be selected such that the average of the six emotionallevel values is maximized. Preferably, the selection may also be made sothat the average of the six emotional level values for one vehicle isnot much different from that of the other vehicle.

Alternatively, the passenger selection unit 209 may select a combinationof passengers for sharing a ride in such a way that the average of theemotional level values of one of the passengers is maximized. Thisparticular passenger may be the one who is going to drive the vehicle,or the one who pays an extra charge.

Also, the passenger selection unit 209 may select a combination ofpassengers for sharing a ride in such a way that a worst combination ofpassengers may be avoided. For instance, the passenger selection unit209 selects the passengers of the vehicles in the order of receivingrequests for sharing a ride. Once a vehicle is filled, any additionaluser requesting a ride is assigned to a next vehicle. During thisprocess, if there is any combination of two passengers which gives riseto an emotion level value lower than a prescribed value, the passengerselection unit 209 avoids this particular combination by moving one ofthe passengers to another vehicle. Thereby, a discomfort owing to anundesirable combination of passengers can be avoided.

In an alternate embodiment, the passenger selection unit 209 groupsusers into a plurality of groups in such a manner that any two users ina same group give rise to favorable emotion level values. When selectingthe combination of each vehicle, the passenger selection unit 209selects the combination of passengers for each vehicle so thatpassengers belonging to a same group may be preferentially assigned to asame vehicle.

The users then share rides with other users. The biometric sensor 205 oneach vehicle detects the indices representing the emotion of eachpassenger, and the data obtained by the biometric sensor 205 istransmitted to the data center 204. The data is associated with the userID of each user, and the user ID of each fellow passenger. The obtaineddata is stored in the emotion history database 210 (step ST6). New datais added to the existing data each time the subject user shares a ridewith other users. In this embodiment, a limit is set on the amount ofdata stored for each user, and the oldest part of the data may bediscarded as new data is obtained (or, in other words, the emotionhistory is updated each time the user shares a rider with other users)(step ST7).

The current emotion levels of one user toward other users can becomputed from the past history of the particular user toward therespective other users. The emotion level may be evaluated based on asingle index or a plurality of indices. If only one index is used as theemotion level data, the emotional level data may be simply evaluated asan average value. If two or more indices are used as the emotion leveldata, a weighted average may be used as the emotional level data.

If desired, the emotion level data may be based on an emotion of asubject user toward a combination of two or more users.

When a user shares a ride with a new user with whom the subject user hasnever shared a ride, the emotion level toward the new user may be set toa freely selected initial value (a typical value, for instance).Alternatively, an emotion level of a subject user toward a new user maybe based on the emotion level of another user toward the new user. Thepresent application is applicable not only to automobiles but also toother modes of transportation such as buses, ships and aircraft.

1. A vehicle seat, comprising: a frame member provided on a floor of avehicle; a seat part detachably attached to the frame member; amechanical connector device provided on the frame member and the seatpart for detachably attaching the seat part to the frame member; and anelectric connector device provided on the frame member and the seat partfor electrically connecting an electric component provided on the seatpart to an electric component provided on the frame member.
 2. Thevehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the electric connector deviceis integrally incorporated in the mechanical connector device.
 3. Thevehicle seat according to claim 2, wherein the mechanical connectordevice is provided with a first tube provided on the seat part, and asecond tube provided on the frame member and configured to be fittedinto or onto the first tube, and the electric connector device includesa first part received in the first tube and a second part received inthe second tube.
 4. The vehicle seat according to claim 3, wherein thefirst part of the electric connector device is provided with anidentifier carrying prescribed information, and the second part of theelectric connector device is provided with a recognition deviceconfigured to read information carried by the identifier.
 5. The vehicleseat according to claim 1, wherein the seat part includes at least afirst seat part segment which is detachably attached to the frame membervia the mechanical connector device and the electric connector device,and a second seat part segment which is detachably attached to the firstseat part segment via a segment mechanical connector device provided onthe first seat part segment and the second seat part segment.
 6. Thevehicle seat according to claim 1, wherein the electric componentprovided on the seat part includes a plurality of pressure sensorsarranged over a pressure supporting surface of the seat part and eachconfigured to detect a pressure applied thereto, and a plurality ofactuators arranged over the pressure supporting surface of the seat partand each configured to change a localized stiffness of the pressuresupporting surface of the seat part, and the electric component providedon the frame member includes a control device or a wiring leading to acontrol device, the control device being configured to control operationof the actuators according to output signals from the pressure sensors.7. The vehicle seat according to claim 6, wherein the seat part includesa sub frame configured to be detachably attached to the frame member, apad supported by the sub frame and a skin member covering a surface ofthe pad, and the actuators are interposed between the skin member andthe pad.
 8. The vehicle seat according to claim 7, wherein the pressuresensors are incorporated in a pressure sensor sheet interposed betweenskin member and the pad.
 9. The vehicle seat according to claim 7,wherein the actuators are incorporated in a soft actuator sheetinterposed between the skin member and the pad member.
 10. The vehicleseat according to claim 9, wherein the soft actuator sheet compriseslinear actuators extending in a lateral direction of the seat part andarranged in a longitudinal direction of the seat part, and eachconfigured to change a tension thereof according to an input signalsupplied thereto.
 11. The vehicle seat according to claim 10, whereinthe soft actuator sheet further comprises linear actuators extending inthe longitudinal direction of the seat part and arranged in the lateraldirection of the seat part, and each configured to change a tensionthereof according to an input signal supplied thereto.
 12. The vehicleseat according to claim 9, wherein the pressure sensors comprise linearpressure sensors incorporated in the soft actuator sheet.
 13. Thevehicle seat according to claim 7, wherein the pad and/or the sub frameis provided with a recess configured to receive wiring leading from theelectric component provided on the seat part to the electric connectordevice provided on the seat part.
 14. A passenger selection systemincluding the vehicle seat according to claim 1, the system comprising:a detection unit including a biometric sensor provided on the seat partand configured to detect an index pertaining to emotion of each userseated in the seat to a fellow passenger sharing a ride with the user; astorage unit for storing a history of the indices of the user inrelation to the fellow passengers detected during rides that were sharedin the past; and a computation unit for selecting a fellow passenger fora next ride to be shared by the user according to the history stored inthe storage unit.
 15. The passenger selection system according to claim14, wherein the storage unit and the computation unit are provided in adata center provided separately from the vehicle.
 16. The passengerselection system according to claim 15, wherein the vehicle is providedwith a wireless transmitter for sending detection results of thebiometric sensor to the data center.
 17. The passenger selection systemaccording to claim 14, wherein the computation unit is configured toanalyze the history of the indices stored in the storage unit, andselect a fellow passenger for a next ride to be shared by the useraccording to an analysis result.
 18. The passenger selection systemaccording to claim 17, wherein the computation unit is configured toselect a fellow passenger for the user from those to whom the userregistered higher levels of emotion than others as recorded in thehistory.
 19. The passenger selection system according to claim 17,wherein the computation unit is configured to select a fellow passengerfor the user by eliminating those to whom the user registered lowerlevels of emotion than others as recorded in the history.
 20. Thepassenger selection system according to claim 17, wherein thecomputation unit is configured to group the users of the system into aplurality of groups such that the users in each group register highemotional level toward each other, and select a fellow passenger foreach user from the group to which the particular user belongs.